Acting Up

Cortney Wills sits down with comedian, actor, and producer Aida Rodriguez to discuss her work, her hustle, her heritage and HBO Max special, Fighting Words. The ladies also get real about Afro- Latinx identity, colorism, and how the comedy game has changed amid the collective trauma our communities have faced.

Cortney Wills sits down with actor Jonathan Majors to discuss his starring role as Nat Love in “The Harder They Fall,” how he and costars like Regina King, Lakeith Stanfield, Zazie Beats, Idris Elba, and Delroy Lindo rose to the challenge of filming the action-packed Western during the pandemic, and how his own heroes inspired him to pursue his passions onscreen and off.  He also weighs in on his Lovecraft Country, his meteoric rise, and his journey through Hollywood.

Actress Christina Elmore sits down with Cortney Wills to discuss her journey through Hollywood and motherhood; how her real life compares to her character Condola’s epic arc on the final season of Insecure, and what she really thinks of Lawrence. She’ll also shares her experience on another groundbreaking series, Twenties, and what it has been like to work alongside trailblazers like Lena Waithe and Issa Rae.

Cortney Wills sits down with Grammy-nominated, Tony Award-winning actress Anika Noni Rose to discuss how she navigates her ever-evolving career, her commitment to Black women, and her new gig as the host of season 3 of the award-winning podcast Being Seen.

Cortney Wills sits down with actress Shalita Grant to discuss her breakout role in season 3 of “YOU” on Netflix, how she overcame a challenging childhood and cultivated a killer career on her own terms, and how she’s fighting back against the damage done to her hair while on set with her own natural hair care line, Four Naturals.

Cortney Wills sits down with actress and activist, Jenifer Lewis to discuss “Finding Kendrick Johnson,” the riveting documentary she executive produced and narrated, streaming now on Amazon Prime. Jenifer reveals her reasons for lending her voice and her platform to the project she calls “the most important work she has ever done” and why she hopes the Biden administration will step up to get justice for the 17-year-old boy who was found dead in his Georgia high school’s gym in 2013.

Cortney Wills sits down with creator and showrunner of ‘BMF’ Randy Huggins to find out how he crafter the hit STARZ drama series based on the true story of Detroit’s most infamous kingpins. He also discusses what went into casting Demetrius “Lil Meech” Flenory to portray his own father; how he deals with 50 Cent and his wild ways; and the impact of this larger-than-life story.

Cortney Wills sits down with actor and director, Desean Terry to discuss his role as a Black journalist on “The Morning Show.” The two examine how the star-studded series tackles issues of race, sexual orientation, and trauma and examines the gray areas of consent, sexual misconduct, and cancel culture. They also take a deep look at the different ways Black professionals navigate predominately white workplaces and the resulting effects of imposter syndrome. Desean also reveals his reasons for inspiring and uplifting LA youth through theater.

Cortney Wills is joined by beloved actress, writer, producer, and activist Erika Alexander who opens up about forging her own path, her passion for sci-fi, and why Black people are the original futurists. She’ll also dish details about the launch of her history-making Concrete Park Bangers collection that just dropped on Curio. She’ll be joined by Curio’s COO, Rikin Mantri who helps explain why NFTs could be the future of storytelling.

Cortney Wills dives into the life of Pauli Murray, the activist, author, priest, lawyer, and revolutionary who coined the term “Jane Crow” and led a life every American should celebrate. She’ll be joined by Julie Cohen and Talleah Bridges-McMahon two of the women behind the unmissable documentary, ‘My Name is Pauli Murray’ in theaters now and available on Amazon Prime Video on October 1. In this candid conversation, the group discusses the fascinating work and monumental contributions of Pauli Murray as well as what it took to get this story told, what happens when the stories of Black lives are helmed by white women, what goes into getting it right, and what impact they hope it will have.